Known techniques for treating waste water effluent resulting from cosmetic product manufacturing includes evaporation, membrane filtration and super critical oxidation.
Known techniques for treating dyestuff waste water effluent includes use of a strong basic inorganic hydroxide to form a flocculent as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 1,747,175 entitled "Process for Treating Dye Effluents" and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,347 entitled "Process for Purifying Dyeing Waste Water" which additionally includes a the method of membrane filtration. These patents can use NaOH in their respective multi-step treatment of industrial waste water to achieve a desired quality of water treatment. Additionally, the U.S. Pat. No. 1,747,175 teaches of using activated carbon filtration for dye removal before the flocculent settles. However, neither of these references provide a method for the effective treatment of untreated cosmetic waste water organic effluent which can also contain organic fatty compounds and other chemicals in addition to dyestuff materials.
Indeed, the present invention requires the use of a strong, colorless and cost effective oxidizing agent for 1) reducing the hydrophilic character of these organic fatty compounds that are present in cosmetic waste water effluent and 2) partially effectuate decolorization of dyestuffs prior to treated effluent discharge into public sewers.
Other U.S. patents that teach of waste water treatment by either flocculation or coagulation, but are materially different from the invention discussed herein include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,986 entitled "Flocculating Agents and Processes For Making Them" which uses methods that require very complex inorganic flocculating agents for purifying waste water where cosmetic waste water effluent is just one of the possible applications of this treatment process and U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,497 entitled "Method For Decolorization of Waste Water" which admixes polyvinyl alcohol to the waste water effluent for precipitation of the dyestuffs from the effluent.